On Nov. 7, 1893, men in Colorado did something extraordinary for the time: They granted women the right to vote – which made Colorado the first state to do that not by legislative action or executive order, but by a vote of the people.
It was a moment of triumph for activists who fought for women's suffrage for decades. It meant women in Colorado could vote 27 years before that right was granted to all women, with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
And they used that victory as a springboard to get things done – from electing women to political office in the state, to helping women secure more economic power.
A new History Colorado exhibit, Votes and Dreams: At the Ballot and Beyond, highlights those accomplishments. It’s on display now at the Center for Colorado Women’s History in Denver.
Exhibit developer Margaux Miller joined Erin O'Toole to share more about it.
